This Spud’s For You!!
Now let’s be honest! When you think of a picnic or a backyard barbecue or a wedding shower buffet or your favorite side dish when sitting down to a homemade deli sandwich, who doesn’t think of potato salad?! It’s an absolute MUST for all of those events… and then some!!
Our friend, Mr. Potato, has been around for a very long time. In fact, the oldest known cultivation of the potato plants occurred in Chile, where the potato crop was planted and harvested long before the Spanish ever arrived. Subsequently, the potato was introduced to Europe in 1536 and not surprisingly taken by European mariners to territories and ports throughout the world. Thousands of varieties persist in the Andes, where over 100 varieties might be found in a single valley region.
Once established in Europe, the potato soon became an important food staple and field crop. However, lack of genetic diversity, due to the fact that very few varieties were initially introduced, left the crop vulnerable to disease. In 1845, a fungal disease spread rapidly through the poorer communities of western Ireland, resulting in the Great Irish Famine.
The potato is also strongly associated with Idaho, Maine, Washington, North Dakota, Prince Edward Island, Ireland, Jersey and Russia because of its large role in the agricultural economy and history of these regions. But in recent decades, the greatest expansion of potato has been in Asia, where as of 2007 approximately eighty percent of the world potato crop is grown. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, China has become the world's largest potato producer, followed by India.
For tasty recipies, click on "Full Story"
And versatile?! Potatoes have no limits! They can be deep fried, pan fried, baked, boiled, mashed, whipped!! You name it!! And they sure do taste great and are great for you!
When it comes to making potato salad, I’m sure everyone has their own particular favorite variety to use. For myself, I prefer the red potatoes. They maintain a nice firm mass after boiling and are very easy to peel. When purchasing the red potatoes, I try to get the larger size so I won’t have to spend so much time peeling all of the little ones.
Just as there are many varieties of potatoes, there are many varieties of potato salads to be made! German potato salad, French potato salad, American potato salad…and the list goes on. The main difference between French and American potato salad is that mustard is used in the French variety, whereas, mayonnaise is used in the American variety. I’ve even devised a recipe for what I call my San Francisco potato salad, which uses sour cream instead of mayonnaise, giving it a full, rich flavor and tang, but keeping a bit on the lighter side.
I would like to offer a couple of my particular favorites to share with you! I hope you enjoy them as much as our friends and guests at the Manor House do!
French Potato Salad
1/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons drained capers
31/4 pounds of red potatoes
Whisk first 7 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 35 minutes. Drain. Return potatoes to pot. Place pot over low heat until liquid from potatoes evaporates, about 2 minutes.
Cut warm potatoes into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Add to dressing. Toss gently to coat. Let stand at least 1 hour at room temperature. Toss again and serve.
American Potato Salad
5 pounds red potatoes
6 hard-boiled eggs
2 cups mayonnaise
1 onion, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender, but firm. Drain, cool and cut into cubes. Peeling the potatoes first is optional.
Peel and chop the eggs. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and eggs. Mix together the mayonnaise, chopped onions, green onion, green pepper and celery. Season with salt and pepper and then mix well. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
San Francisco Potato Salad
5 pounds red potatoes
2½ cups sour cream
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tblsp dried parsley flakes
1 tblsp dill weed
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender, but firm. Drain, cool, peel and slice.
Mix all of the remaining ingredients together and toss with sliced potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
These are but a few of the many different types of potato salads that can be made, quickly and easily! Why not give one of them a try and see what you think? You may discover a new favorite in the process!!